


A Different Songbird

by Smolbutdeadly



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: Adorable Orpheus, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But that'd be a lie, Chaotic Neutral Fates, He's just a darling, I'd say I'm sorry, M/M, Not Bad but Not Good Fates, Not Eurydice bashing but kinda?, Oblivious Orpheus, Precious Orpheus, Protective Hermes, Slash, Ultimate Gay Uncle Hermes, Ultimate Sugar Daddy Hades, but gay, hadestown - Freeform, possessive Hades, protective Hades, truly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24517327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smolbutdeadly/pseuds/Smolbutdeadly
Summary: Deciding to get a divorce, Hades and Persephone remain friends. Hades, while on a visit to the world above, comes upon Orpheus singing to Eurydice. Falling in love at first sight, Hades decides that he must have the adorable little canary for himself and he will stop at nothing to do so.Cue a charmingly confused Orpheus, a protective Uncle Hermes, an exasperated Persephone, and a definitely not canon Eurydice.
Relationships: Hades/Orpheus (Hadestown)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 55





	1. A King Finds a Song Bird (But It's Not Who You Think It Is)

**Author's Note:**

> A quick note, the time-line is a little screwed up in this. Just go with it and you'll be fine. It's set right before 'Livin' It Up On Top', but that's about all the directions you will get here. Sorry, but not really. Anyway, I apologize for any ooc-ness that you will find within this. Hades is definitely ooc and he's a little messed up in the head. However, I tried to channel as much of his charachter mixed with the original greek myths as I could. Thus, the possessive and obsessive behavior he exhibits.

Hades stepped off the rail-road cart to a world of sunshine and green, budding flowers, the smell of soil and grapes premeting the air, the perfect embodiment of his ex-wife/annoying best friend. The breeze ruffled his hair and gravel crunched under his foot, a harsh difference from the state that his Kingdom was in not even a few months ago.  
"Hurry Up, dear! Spring has come and we have a party to attend!" Hades looked ahead to see Persephone skipping and twirling towards the train station in front of them.

"You are much more excited to get drunk with a bunch of poor mortals than you should be," He called, raising an eyebrow.  
Persephone stopped, huffing at him.  
"Wealth doesn't equate a good personality dear, otherwise you'd have a friend that wasn't me," She called, her hair flying out behind her in a large wave as she sashayed through the door of the station.  
"That women will be the death of me," He uttered before following with long steps. The inside of the station matched the outside in the way that the walls were just as faded, it was just as dirty, and was a harsh difference from the clean comfort of his kingdom. He raised an eyebrow and let out a hum. There was nothing enchanting about this place that his ex-wife loved, nothing note-worthy (other than the distinct lack of cleaning products).The place was just what one would expect from mortals.  
Hades was broken out of his thoughts by a loud cheer resonating throughout the building. The rooms' occupants had apparently recognized Persephone. "And You're late again!" Hades recognized that voice. He turned to the small piano sitting in the corner of the room to find Hermes, the son of Zeus and his nephew (Though most wouldn’t know that if looking at their chosen forms given the striking differences.) Persephone laughed and sauntered towards him, grinning broadly. "For the last time, my friend," She grabbed his hand and he twirled her indulgently, though a question settled on his face. "How so?" Hades had to admit, the look on his nephews face was definitely comical. "I can answer that," He stepped forward to stand beside Persephone, who had yet to lose her shit-eating grin, and in front of Hermes, whose eyes had progressively gotten larger, "Persephone and I have gotten a divorce," No one could ever accuse him of not being dramatic as he reveled in the gasps that echoed throughout the room.  
"King Hades, my apologies. I was unaware of your presence," Hermes apologized, his face losing the surprised components to reveal a more blank, guarded expression. He bowed lowly, the mortals in the room following suit. Persephone snorted and waved her hand at him in an, 'go on' gesture.

"There is no need for that, I am here for pleasantries, not business," He addressed the group before stepping onto the small stage that was set up beside the piano, laughing inside at the irony of his use of a stage for ‘pleasantries’. "Persephone and myself have decided that in order to preserve both the health of the earth and that of our personal relationship, we should get a divorce. She will still be visiting Hadestown in order to maintain the balance of the earth. However, these visits will remain the lawful length each time and we hope that this will ensure happiness and fulfillment of those above ground. That is all," He told them before moving to step off the stage, carefully ignoring the grime-covered mortals before him. 

"I believe this calls for a celebration!" Hermes called out, at which the stoic group of mortals turned into rambunctious children.

"Brother, pass that bottle around!" Persephone grinned at him before jumping into the crowd, mingling and dancing with the mortals as if she were born to do so. The crowd seemed to forget about him as he leaned against the piano, accepting a glass of wine from a passing bartender.  
"Let the poet bless this round!" The words of his nephew seemed to hold some meaning to the mortals as they converged around one of their own, pushing a boy up on a table. The boy laughed, a melodic sound like that of a cello, and steadied himself. He had tousled brown hair and doe like eyes that shined with an adorable mixture of shock and determination. He wore a dirtied pair of pants that directly matched his what-was-once-a-white-shirt, suspenders, and a red handkerchief, that reminded Hades of a collar, that he looked beautiful in. Hades pursed his lips, the boy was far too lovely to dressed in such rags. HE would look simply divine in silk garments and adorned with the most dazzling jewels his mines could offer. The boy took in a deep breath,  
"To the patroness of all of this, Persephone. Who has finally returned to us with wine enough to share, Asking nothing in return except that we should live,And learn to live as brothers in this life, And to trust she will provide, And if no one takes too much, there will always be enough, She will always fill our cups," If Hades thought that the boys laugh was beautiful, his voice was even more enchanting. He felt as if he were drunk just from listening to the boy speak.  
"I will," Persephone announced.  
And so, the boy continued, "And to the King, who has trusted us with Life herself, Who cares for us enough that he gave up his Queen for our health and happiness. And if we don't take advantage, then he will always allow us the blessing of his once wife's presence, who will always fill our cups" The genuine admiration and gratefulness that bled through the melodic and captivating voice of the boy astounded him. Just as mortals needed to breathe, he needed to hear the intoxicating hymn that was the boys' voice.  
Eyes turned towards him, including the dazzling honey brown orbs of the boy who must have been a siren, and he realized that they were waiting for him to agree.  
"I will," Hades decided to follow the steps of Persephone and it worked well, as the crowd as satisfied, cheers erupting around him. They turned back to the object of his new-found infatuation.

Silence once again filled the air as the boy raised his cup, "And we will always raise them up, To the world we dream about, and the one we live in now," He downed his drink and those below him did the same.  
Hades decided right then and there as he watched the boy half jump/ half fall off the table with all the grace of a new born deer that the boy would be his. He needed a new queen and who better than this boy who seemed to be touched by his fellow gods in the way that he captivated all around him with his voice? Not only would the adorable boy be treasured, perhaps he could help calm the citizens of his kingdom with his voice. The same voice that captivated those around him with an almost hypnotic quality. And in turn for his ownership of the boy, he would shower him in love, jewels, clothing, and the best that money could buy. His boy would want for nothing. Even better, he would never even want to leave him or his kingdom, unlike Persephone, who hadn’t appreciated the comforts of a gilded cage, who flew away the moment that mother nature called, and who tried, but could never feel at home within his walls or his embrace. Yes, the boy would be his. His to love, his to hold, his to kiss, his to shower with gifts, his to mark, his to claim. His.  
Once his boy reached the ground, he was swept away by the crowd, all of them praising him, hugging him touching him, putting their disgusting hands on what was his.  
"Good job Orpheus!”, “That was beautiful Orpheus!", “Have another drink Orpheus!”  
So that was his name. Orpheus. The perfect name for his perfect future Queen.


	2. Persephone Is Amused and Hades is Besotted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Persephone realizes Hades' newfound infatuation and decides he needs a wing-woman.

Hades stared forward trying to memorize the face of his boy when he heard an exhalation of air from his left. He turned, frustration overtaking him as he was forced to follow the rules of niceties and address those who would drag his attention away from his beloved. The perpetrator was revealed to be his ex-wife-turned-best-friend, also known as Persephone. He raised an eyebrow as he scanned her wide eyes and equally as wide grin.

As quick as the question of ‘why?’ formed in his head, it was gone. He knew exactly what she was making that face for, though his knowledge wasn’t required as she wasn’t prone to keeping her thoughts quiet. 

“You’re already in love again?” Hades thought back through the years trying to remember when she had thrown away her brain to mouth filter, he couldn’t recall. Though, he supposed that the idea of her having a brain in the first place was a little far-fetched. 

“I know not of what you speak,” He sniffed, his eyes darting back to the face of his Orpheus. 

“I was married to you for millennia, you can’t lie to me. So, don’t even try Mr.I-fall-in-love-the-minute-I-see-a-pretty-boy. You’re staring at this boy like he hung the moon, and I know for a fact that my half-sister Artemis would protest that fact,” Hades let a quiet growl vibrate through his throat, not unlike one that his faithful companion, Cerberus, would let out upon having his favorite chew-toy taken away. Persephone snorted, “Don’t you growl at me, it’s as clear as Apollo’s chariot flying across the sky that you have fallen in love with him,” 

Hades reluctantly pulled his gaze away from the sight of his beloved as he turned to Persephone, his tunnel vision fading away as the sounds of drunk mortals drifted into his ears. 

“What do you plan on doing with this information?” He raised his eyebrow as he waited for the green-clad lady to respond. One of the mortals sat themselves down at the piano and several others, all bearing different instruments of their own, converged around them. Music starting up around them, the remaining mortals started to dance and sing as they showed off their various skills.

“That depends on what you would like me to do Hades. I want you to be happy and you deserve someone who will let you shower them in affection and who will do the same to you. So, if you want me to stand back and do nothing, I’ll do nothing. But, if you want one hell of a wing-woman,” She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows before continuing, “then I’ll do my damn best to make sure that you get your happily-ever-after. So, what do you want me to do, darling?” 

Hades pursed his lip and sought out the holder of his affections as he thought. Orpheus sat on a table, a lyre in his hands, and a girl stood in front of him. Both of them were grinning wildly and Orpheus, eyes bright and hands moving animatedly throughout the air in wide arcs, seemed to be the center of the room, everyone else revolving around him even as he paid them no mind. He hummed thoughtfully, “Your help would be much appreciated,” 

Persephone let out a sudden squeal, jumping forward and crushing him in a hug.  
“I’m going to be the best wing-woman to have ever wing-womaned!” She paused, “And you’re gonna need all the help you can get, Hermes is extremiely protective of the boy,” Hades blinked, a bit bewildered. His nephew, despite what most would think based off of his friendly nature, rarely took a liking to anyone enough to protect them.  
“How so?” He asked. 

“Well, the boys’ mother, Calliope, the muse,” She waited for Hades to confirm that he knew of whom she spoke of before she continued. He nodded, his parenthood explained the otherworldlyness of the boys voice. Though, Hades refused to give the flighty woman all the credit for the charm of his soon-to-be-queen, the adorable boy was another level of ethereal entirely. “Entrusted Hermes with his care when he was born. Now, Hermes will deny it, but he loves the boy like he was his own son and he would overthrow Zeus himself if it ensured the boys’ happiness,” She told him, pointing behind her to the same man they’d been talking about. He stood beside Orpheus where he sat on the table, smiling softly at the boy. 

Hades smirked, “I know exactly how to go about getting his favor, we need not worry too much about him. For now, however, I shall introduce myself to my future bride,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank You for reading! I'm sorry this wasn't longer, but I wanted to update this before I left for vacation. So...  
> Things have escalated, Hades has become even more obsessed with Orpheus, who he has yet to talk to. We'll see how this goes.  
> Leave a kudos if you enjoyed it or maybe even a comment pointing out what you enjoyed or how I can make this story better.  
> Stick with me while I single handedly make this fandom gay, bye!


	3. Play For Me, My Dear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades finally speaks to Orpheus, and promptly decides that Eurydice needs to die. Hermes has a revelation and the author is sorry it took so long for this to go up.

Never before had Hades understood what the mortals described as ‘tunnel vision’, but as he strode to the table where Orpheus sat, he decided that it fit what he was experiencing completely. He saw nothing but the beautiful face of his beloved, all other details blocked from his mind. At least, they were before a throaty voice interrupted his thoughts.  
“My lord, how can we help you?” He broke his gaze away from his doe-eyed boy to look upon the ragged teenage girl sitting next to him. She had dark eyes and short, frizzy hair. A threadbare jacket adorned her hunger pang frame. She looked at him with awe in her eyes, but her voice held defiance. As if the words she spoke were forced into creation against her will. She was a conundrum and he hadn’t even known she had existed until just now. She was odd. She was… leaning into the love of his life as if he belonged to her. She would have to die.  
Even as he came to this conclusion, he knew that he couldn’t act upon his desire. Not yet. Not while it was common knowledge that he was above ground and not in his kingdom. Not when he would be a major suspect in the eyes of his youngest brother.  
He turned away from the girl to his boy, eyeing the lyre in the boy's hands. An excuse jumped to the front of his mind, an excuse to talk to his love, and maybe even hear him sing.  
“You are holding a lyre, do you play?” He made sure that his voice was deep and flowed like honey.  
His boys’ cheeks reddened and Hades had to fight off the smirk that was threatening to overtake his face at the sight.  
“I, I ummm. Y-yeah, I do. I-I’m not, I mean, I’m n-not the best, but I-uh- I do play,” It took all of Hades’ strength to not lick his lips at the sight of his love's nervousness.  
Unfortunately, his revery was broken when the dirty girl clinging against him like a stubborn, dying leaf would a tree in autumn forced herself into the conversation.  
“He’s being modest, he plays so well he could beat Apollo himself in a battle of song,” At her words, Orpheus’ bright brown eyes widened and a gasp left his pretty little mouth.  
“Eurydice, you should not challenge the gods in such a manner!” He chided, horrified. Hermes, who had, up until now remained quiet, put his hand on the Orpheus’ shoulder.  
“He is right. You never know who is listening. The walls have ears and they listen intently to the disrespectful,” Hermes leant down and whispered softly into the ears of Hades’ future bride. He must have been using some divine power or another because even as Hades focused with all his might, he could not hear what was said.  
“ I asked dear Orpheus here of his talents, not you, young lady,” He didn’t bother paying attention to what she felt of his dismissing words as he looked intently into the ever-so-wide eyes that had captured his love.  
“Pardon me, Lord Hades, but I’m afraid I simply do not believe myself good enough to speak on my abilities,” Hades hummed, stepping back, out of the corner of his eye he could see his nephew gazing at him, wariness painted clear as day upon his face. In a harsh contrast, the girl whose name she had already forgotten glared up at him.  
“If you cannot speak on the matter, you shall demonstrate instead. Play for me, my dear. Entertain me, make me feel,” He announced.  
Orpheus was silent for a moment; cheeks, ears, and neck red (How far did that blush spread? Hades wondered), but his eyes narrowed in thought. The room fell into silence. All but five of the room's occupants seemed to not even know why sound halted before it had the chance to pass through their lips, or why the music had come to a sudden stop. The world held its breath, somehow knowing that a choice was about to be made that would change everything.  
After a beat, Orpheus nodded.  
Distantly, as if he were hearing through a long tunnel, he could hear Hermes softly singing, “Maybe it will turn out this time on the road to hell on the railroad line,” He ignored his nephew in favor of focusing on the sense of satisfaction that ran through him.  
“Orpheus, you don’t have to do this. He can’t make you,” The girl muttered, glaring at Hades. Distrust was evident, it practically radiated from her being. A sign to all who could read that she would eventually become a problem.  
His love smiled at the street rat, “It’s okay Eurydice, I want to. It would be an honor to play for the king on the Underworld,”  
Orpheus lifted his lyre and strummed a chord, its haunting notes carrying across the whole room. The mortals remained silent, something Hades had previously believed impossible. It seemed many of his previous beliefs were going to be proven wrong today. It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago he thought he would never fall in love with a mortal.  
He strummed a few times more before he lifted his voice to the heavens, blessing the mortal realm with his angelic voice, 

“I was alone so long,  
I didn’t even know that I was lonely.  
Out in the cold so long,  
I didn’t even know that I was cold.  
Turn my collar to the wind,  
That’s how it’s always been,” 

Hades couldn’t keep his eyes off of his wonderful love, couldn’t stop his ears from desperately listening to the most enchanting music he had ever heard in his millennium on this earth. He couldn’t help but have a bleeding heart for his love who sang with such sadness that rang truer than any plainly spoken word could. He couldn’t help but wonder what the mortals of this world had put his love through that he was capable of singing in such a manner. Couldn’t help but vow to reign hell on earth for the mortals that had harmed his love.  
Having no knowledge of Hades’ vow, Orpheus continued, 

“All I’ve ever known is how to hold my own,  
All I’ve ever known is how to hold my own,  
But now I want to hold you too,”  
Rage bubbled through Hades as Orpheus gazed at the runt of a girl with such affection in his voice, it would not be long before that affection was aimed at him and his love never thought of the girl again. 

“You take me in your arms,  
and suddenly there’s sunlight all around me,  
Everything bright and warm,  
And shining like it never did before,” 

Hades wondered what was going through the small boy's mind as he sang those precious words, if they were the absolute truth or if he was drawing lyrics from another poet who held such a talent for these amazingly heartfelt, loving words. Even more so, he wondered if those wonderful words would apply to him when he obtained the heart of his poet. 

“And for a moment I forget,  
Just how dark and cold it gets,  
All I’ve ever known is how to hold my own,  
All I’ve ever now is how to hold my own,  
But now I wanna hold you  
I wanna hold you  
Hold you close ,”

A small smile formed on Hades’ face, so small, that if you were not looking for it, you would never even know that it was there. The doe-like-boy truly had a way with words. 

“I don’t wanna ever have to let you go,  
Now I wanna hold you,  
I don’t wanna go back to the lonely life,” 

Here, Orpheus seemed to pause, holding his breath and the rest of the world seemed to follow suit. He bit his pale pink lips that seemed so similar to the shape of Eros’s bow. He slowed down and his chords changed to a more somber tone. 

“I don’t know how or why,  
But who am I that I should get to hold you?  
But when I saw you up against the sky,  
It was like I had known you all along,”

Years from now, after Hades had claimed his bride, he would ask Orpheus where he got the lyrics to the song that had captured the attention and silence of all that heard it, and Orpheus would respond, “It was if I had heard the song before, as if I had known it all along, like the fates were weaving my singing it into the fabric of the world. It felt right, but wrong. Like the feeling that comes over when something happens to change the world,” 

But for now, all Hades knew was that Orpheus would one day sing his song for him and only him. 

“I knew you before we met,  
And I don’t even know you yet,  
All I know is you’re someone I’ve always known,  
“All I know is you’re someone I’ve always known,  
And I don’t even know you,  
Now I wanna hold you,  
Hold you close,  
I don’t wanna ever have to let you go,

“Suddenly the sunlight,  
Bright and warm,  
Suddenly I'm holding the world in my arms,

“Say that you'll hold me forever,  
Say that the wind won't change on us,  
Say that we'll stay with each other,  
And it will always be like this,

“I'm gonna hold you forever,  
The wind will never change on us,  
Long as we stay with each other,  
Then it will always be like this,”

As Orpheus strummed the last chord, his voice carrying over his enraptured audience with his final note, he closed his eyes and Hades yearned to see his love’s wonderfully golden-brown eyes once again. The room came back to life once the sound died out, applause breaking out. The drunken cheers of dirty mortals replaced the enchanting voice of his future queen. It was enough to make any king lose their composure.  
Luckily for the well-being of the mortals, Hades wasn’t just any king. He was THE King, above even more subjects than Zeus himself. After all, the dead far outnumbered the living. He didn’t want to resort to an outright war, but if the hand of his love was not given to him as was his right, perhaps it was high time for the world to be made aware of that fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Hi... Sorry for taking so long, my life has been really hectic, but I'm not going to try to excuse it because I'm sure y'all don't care. Though, my laptop still hasn't been fixed, I'm working from a school leased one. So, that's fun. Anyway! We've made progress! Hades has actually spoken to Orpheus at this point, we've gotten to see some Eurydice. (Sorry for bashing her so much, I really love her character. However, for the plot, I have to have Hades want her dead.), and we've seen some more of what Hades would be willing to do for Orpheus.   
>  So, What'd y'all think? Am I going too slow? Should I speed up Hades and Orpheus' interactions? Did I make any errors with lyrics/ grammar? Who's your favorite character? Whats's your favorite part so far? Let me know down in the comments, I try my best to respond and I always appreciate it! Have a good day and be on the look out for upcoming chapters!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading, you have my eternal gratitude. Let me know if there's any spelling, grammer, or any other kind of mistake that I need to fix and I'll look into it. I'm beta-less so I'd really appreciate it. Also, if you have any kind of feedback about this feel free to leave a comment down below, I always read everything written and will probably respond. If you were to leave a kudos, I would give you the world. Look out for more chapters to come. So, stick with me while I single-handedly make this fandom Gay. Bye!


End file.
